Award winners

The Pacific Crest Trail Association’s annual awards serve as a means to recognize members, volunteers, partners, and supporters for extraordinary achievement. Every year we ask our partners, members and volunteers to nominate people in the community for their exceptional contributions.

Alice Krueper Award: Outstanding Trail Volunteer of the Year

The Alice Krueper Award plaque.

The Alice Krueper Award is the PCTA’s top honor for outstanding trail maintenance volunteers. It is given to the person identified by the Trail Operations Committee members (including regional coordinators and the Trail Operations Director) as having done the most for trail maintenance during the year. Often, the award recipient has previously received a regional Trail Maintainer of the Year Award. The award represents a spirit of dedication as was exemplified by Alice Krueper. The award recipient’s contributions are deemed outstanding. The award recipient is also seen as an excellent role model or example for other volunteers. Generally, this person is also well known and respected among the government agency employees who work in his or her area.

Award of Merit

The Award of Merit recognizes individuals for their work on particular projects that benefit the organization. Generally, these awards recognize a non-trail maintenance volunteer who contributes significantly to the work of the organization. (More than one award may be given in a year.)

Partnership Award

The Partnership Award is given to a partner that has provided exceptional assistance to the PCTA and contributed to the our mission. Often, the PCTA has worked extensively over the past year with this organization.

Regional Trail Maintainer of the Year

This award is given to an individual in each region who has distinguished him/herself in hours and service to trail maintenance during the past year. Please note the region categories for Regional Trail Maintainer of the Year awards have shifted to align with the PCTA’s Regional Representative boundaries. A listing of previous winners in the old categories is included for reference.

Southern California (Mexican Border through Tejon Ranch)

2008 Don Line

2009 Dick Blizzard

2010 Lyle Boelter

2011 Frank Trujillo

2013 Dave Fleischman

2014 Richard Leahy

2015 John Shelton

2016 Bob Griffis & Molly Cromwell

Southern Sierra (Tejon Ranch through Yosemite National Park)

2008 Mark Sinclair

2010 Ying Chang

2011 Harland Polk

2016 John Van Heertum

Northern Sierra (North Boundary of Yosemite National Park through Lassen National Forest)